Featured Columnist IVAugust 5, 2024
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The Brandon Aiyuk trade market is reportedly heating up.
According to Matt Barrows of The Athletic, “multiple teams” have contacted the San Francisco 49ers regarding the star wide receiver, though “nothing has been agreed to” at this point.
Among those teams are the Cleveland Browns, New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers, per Barrows.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network also reported that there “certainly have been trade discussions surrounding Aiyuk. In fact, certain, other specific teams have been granted permission from the 49ers to speak with Aiyuk’s agent, Ryan Williams, and try to work out a contract that would have to be a part of any deal getting done.”
Tom Pelissero @TomPelissero
No, Brandon Aiyuk wasn’t traded this afternoon.
Yes, there are signs that could change as the saga continues in San Francisco. @MikeGarafolo and I had some things to say about it on The Insiders on @nflnetwork: pic.twitter.com/DHN97yoA78
As Pelissero noted, Aiyuk will now have the opportunity to gauge the market and see if teams are willing to sign him for more than San Francisco’s offers in extension talks. And teams on the market can determine if they’ll meet his price point before deciding to give up significant trade assets, avoiding the possibility of a costly, one-year rental.
Aiyuk, 26, has been a hold-in at San Francisco’s training camp to this point, and in July he reportedly requested a trade, and indication that the Niners weren’t offering him the sort of extension he was seeking.
He’s under contract for one more season as part of his rookie contract before becoming a free agent next offseason.
The Niners are in a tough spot. They are built to compete for a Super Bowl title this season and trading Aiyuk would hurt in that regard.
But they also are facing a future salary cap crunch, with Trent Williams also holding out, Brock Purdy poised to receive a monster extension next offseason and Nick Bosa already being the highest-paid defensive player in football.
Add in Deebo Samuel eventually needing an extension of his own—he’ll be a free agent after the 2025 season—and it’s easy to see why the Niners may not be able to meet the market for a player like Aiyuk.
Matt Maiocco @MaioccoNBCS
I’ve stated for a while that I didn’t see any scenario in which the 49ers would trade him. Now, I believe it’s a legitimate option. In a lot of ways, the ball is in Aiyuk’s court. https://t.co/cXqa991Jtk
In that case, the Niners may decide it’s better to get assets in a trade now than lose Aiyuk in free agency next season. The Niners still have the leverage of the franchise tag next offseason, but that risks entirely breaking down the relationship between the two sides.
Meanwhile, the Patriots and Steelers particularly make sense as suitors.
Matthew Berry @MatthewBerryTMR
I’ve heard that the rumors about Aiyuk wanting to goto PIT and SF open to dealing him there are true, actually. Not a done deal but it’s actually not as random a rumor as you might think.
New England has Drake Maye on a rookie contract and desperately needs more playmakers. In Pittsburgh, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields have a combined cap hit of $4.6 million and the Steelers could use another weapon opposite George Pickens after trading Diontae Johnson to Carolina this offseason.
Cleveland would be a bit more of a surprise, with Amari Cooper and Jerry Jeudy already on the roster, though the Browns may be in win-now mode and ready to make another major commitment at the position. Deshaun Watson certainly wouldn’t be complaining.
